November 2022

by | Nov 30, 2022 | Monthly Updates | 11 comments

Hues of Purple

November started off on a really good note.

We spent our first “weekend” taking the car for a beautiful, long, country road drive up North to Te Arai and Forestry – spots Matteo recommended us. It was a scenic drive, with New Zealand’s ever changing landscapes unfolding before our eyes, and the sun, clouds, and even rain taking turns showing us their colours.

We were excited to arrive at Te Arai, jumping out of our car and walking the brief section of dune to get to a magnificent, long, misty bay mostly deserted, leaving the ocean and sands to themselves to do their zen routines. We noted this as somewhere we needed to come back to, but as the waves were taking a day off we decided to get back in our car and head straight to Forestry – a 10 min drive. 

What can I say? The spot was given its name for a reason. You literally drive through a forest that wraps itself to the coast, and get to a surf spot nestled by some rocks. Once again: magnificent. This time the walk of the stretch of dunes was highlighted by bouquets of purple flowers casually colouring the otherwise uniform terrains of sand and grass.

 

This spot was a lot more popular – surprising given the journey of gravel to get here. There were waves, nothing spectacular, a little bit mushy and the small spot was crowded with beginners and longboarders making a bit of a messy soup but we got in nonetheless. It was a long journey that deserved some movement in sea salt water. We ended up surfing reforms having a little ocean party to ourselves.

The following weekend we took Sunday off work to go to the long awaited Friday Night Jams. Line up: Macklemore, Akon, Ashanti, Jeremih, Shaggy, Jay Sean, Dru Hill, Lumidee → Let’s be real, the biggest hype was for Akon. The event was LITTTT, after numerous rainy days the clouds restrained themselves and we had an evening of clear skies dancing to old school hip hop in an arena with 50,000 people. What a vitalising experience (wish I could say the same about our 4.30 am wake up the next day for work hahah – but we survived and it was all worth it).

The month took a bit of a sour turn when the following weekend we both got COVID (yes, it could have been the concert but it also could have been work, or the supermarket, or the doctors). You know how everybody says, “don’t get COVID”? They are right. Don’t get COVID. It sucks. 

 

While I had it pretty mild with two rough nights of body pains and high fever, and otherwise a headache, a deep rooted cough, and low energy for the week, I still feel it today when I go for a run or cycle up a hill: I am depleted and MY LUNGS! Oh man, there is this cloud about COVID but I am not letting it set me back, rather I am motivated to kick its ass and get into prime shape. Mahiran got it a lot worse than me. He had all my symptoms, with an addition of body spasms, nausea, and tonsil swelling – he was also sick for a lot longer than I was and was forced to return to work when he was still feeling depleted and testing positive.

It was not fun for either of us, but it did give us time – the whole week – to just be with each other at home which we had not had in a long time. It meant we could catch up on neglected but fond parts of our lives – I got craftsy and Mahiran resumed his missed out anime. It also meant we could talk, reflect, and make some future plans.

Leela’s COVID walks were always fruitful

It was the last days of COVID and the first days of being back at work that made us decide that we were ready to start planning our month of traveling – some happy sunshine here we come. Nothing is set in concrete but we have the vague plan of heading out to discover this island country sometime in January for roughly a month. And I am SOOOOO EXCITED.

11 Comments

  1. Ava4257
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